29 Dec, 2018

Memorial Hermann Life Flight® is working with the SAFE 2 SAVE mobile app to reward drivers who put their mobile devices down and keep their eyes on the road. The sponsorship is part of Memorial Hermann Health System’s ongoing educational and targeted prevention efforts to drive change in behaviors and reverse the startling rise in distracted driving motor vehicle collisions in the Greater Houston Area.

Deaths related to distracted driving motor vehicle collisions rose 62 percent in Harris County from 2016 to 2017, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. In 2017, more than 19 percent of motor vehicle collisions in Texas involved distracted driving, resulting in 444 deaths and more than 2,800 serious injuries, according to TxDOT. The Houston Chronicle recently labeled the Greater Houston Area’s driving conditions as the country’s most distracted and deadliest, based on its analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.

Many distracted driving motor vehicle collisions are preventable.

Memorial Hermann will serve as the presenting sponsor of SAFE 2 SAVE in the Houston market. SAFE 2 SAVE rewards drivers for not using mobile devices while driving. For every minute a driver does not touch their mobile device while driving, they receive points that can be redeemed at select Houston area businesses such as Chick-fil-A®, Papa John’s Pizza®, Dave & Buster’s® and Rooftop Cinema Club®.

“We are thrilled to partner with Memorial Hermann Life Flight® on bringing SAFE 2 SAVE to the Houston market,” said Marci Cory, Owner & Founder of SAFE 2 SAVE. “With this partnership we hope to reach every Houstonian and serve as a driving force in reversing the rising trend of distracted driving impacting the Houston, Harris County and surrounding areas.”

“We see so many patients involved in motor vehicle collisions that are often caused by some distraction or impairment,” said Michelle McNutt, MD, Chief of Trauma at the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-TMC and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. “If we can change the behaviors of Houstonians, we can help reduce the number of friends and families who experience the devastating toll these preventable collisions take on the community.”